GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The decision by Pope Benedict XVI to resign because of dwindling strength will at most be a footnote, not a defining point of his legacy as the leader of the Catholic Church, one Grand Rapids theologian said Monday.

“I think the lasting impact will be the life of Benedict the theologian, as someone in a very difficult period in history who warns against dictatorship of relativism, who stresses the importance in dignity of all human beings, who argues for religious freedom in an age in which that can increasingly come under attack,” said Robert Marko, a professor of theology at Aquinas College.

Benedict, 85, announced his decision to step down Monday, Feb. 11 during a meeting of Vatican Cardinals, saying he believes he no longer has the strength of body and mind “to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

He’s the first pontiff to resign since Pope Gregory XII stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.

News of Benedict’s impending departure – his resignation takes effect on Feb. 28 – drew a wealth of reaction from Catholic’s throughout Grand Rapids. Bishop Walter Hurley said while he was surprised by the news, he ultimately supports the decision, saying “it’s a real tribute to the stature of the man.”

Marko said Benedict’s decision is a personal statement on the pontiff’s leadership style.

“The fact that Benedict has chosen to do this is more of a statement about him as a judicious, prudent human being who knows when the time has come to let go of things that one may not be able to do with full stamina,” Marko said.

It’s difficult to say whether Benedict’s decision to step down will set a trend and lead to more popes not serving until their death, Marko said.

“If you’re not physically able to do the duties, then one prudently would resign,” said Marko, who has long used texts written by Benedict in several of his classes at Aquinas. “I think it tends to vary with an individual.”